The Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands has undergone an extension carried out by Amsterdam-based architecture Studio KRFT, where a new brick theatre and a glazed foyer were added to the existing structure.
The famous museum and concert hall is dedicated to showcasing and preserving William and Anna Singer‘s collections and life’s work. William H. Singer Jr. was a notorious American visual artist and painter, while his wife Anna was a musican and art collector.
The couple moved to Laren in the early 20th century, where they built their home, Die Wilde Zwanen (The Wild Swans) and spent the rest of their lives. Upon William Singer’s death, Anna created a museum and theatre within the house. It opened in 1956, displaying the couple’s repertoire of paintings, sculptures and artifacts.
KRFT Architects were asked by the Singer Memorial Foundation to develop and modernize the theatre, which now became part of the museum’s comprehensive visit experience. After the museum extension, it now holds a large foyer that leads from the auditorium to the house and street outside.
The steps that rise from the pavement are illuminated at night mark to the entrance to the new foyer, which leads to a lounge area with a café and the theatre’s reception. “Through the open foyer space, the garden, villa, shop and cafe become publicly accessible, turning the complex into a cultural living room of the region”.
The auditorium is surrounded by the metallized structure in which the ticket office is located. On the outside, the full-red-brick theatre completes the architecture of the original house. On the side, there’s a section with functional spaces designated for performers, which contains a cloakroom and a separate foyer.
It is absolutely admirable how this venue keeps the memory of this iconic power couple alive in our minds, eyes and ears. If you haven’t visited it before this modernization, make sure you enjoy this even more-so complete experience!
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